Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local senators voted with their party’s leadership in the 2025 session through August 29. Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 68 votes from the 2025 Senate session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not on local issues. The votes of 33 Democrats were compared to Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem (D-Newton), second-in-command in the Senate. We could not compare the Democrats’ votes to those of Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) because, by tradition, the Senate president rarely votes. Eighteen (54.5 percent) of 33 Democrats voted with Creem 100 percent of the time. Fourteen (42.4 percent) of Democrats voted with Creem at least 90 percent of the time. Only one Democrat voted with Creem less than 90 percent of the time. The senator who voted with Creem the least percentage of times is Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) who voted with Creem only 57 times (85.0 percent). Rounding out the list of the top fi ve senators who voted with Creem the least percentage of times are Sens. Nick Collins (D-Boston); Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford); and Michael Moore (D-Millbury) who each voted with Creem 63 times (92.6 percent). Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld) voted with Creem 64 times (94.1 percent). The votes of four Republican senators were compared with those of GOP Senate Minority Leader Sen. Bruce Tarr (RGloucester). None of the four voted with Tarr 100 percent of the time. Sens. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) and Kelly Dooner (RTaunton) each voted with Tarr 62 times (91.1 percent); and Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) and Peter Durant (RSpencer) each voted with Tarr 66 times (97.0 percent). SENATORS’ SUPPORT OF THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2025 THROUGH AUGUST 29 The percentage next to the senator’s name represents the percentage of times the senator supported his or her party’s leadership so far in 2025 through August 29. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the senator opposed his or her party’s leadership. Some senators voted on all 68 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for each senator is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted. Sen. Lydia Edwards 100 percent (0) ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO UNCOVERS FRAUD IN PUBLIC BENEFITS — State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released a Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) report that uncovered $4.8 million of public benefi t fraud in the fi nal quarter of fi scal year 2025. BSI’s goal is to help make government work better by investigating fraud, abuse and illegal acts involving public assistance benefi ts across the state. BSI investigated a total of 1,153 cases and there were overpayments in 143 cases including fraud uncovered when paying for benefits for MassHealth/Medicaid $3,812,331; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program $690,138; Personal Care Attendant $145,638; Department of Early Education and Care $134,526; Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children $23,179; Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children $8,568. “Public benefit fraud can impact the lives of everyday people across Massachusetts who rely on these programs and services to access care or purchase food,” said DiZoglio. “That is why the work of our fraud examiners is critical to help ensure these services and programs are operating effi - ciently and reliably for all who need them.” MOTOR VEHICLE BATTERIES (H 2652) — The House gave initial approval to legislation that would require that motor vehicle repair and storage facilities display a notice that informs the public and first responders of the presence of motor vehicle batteries on the premises. “This legislation will put safety fi rst in the event of a fi re on a property where lithiumion batteries are present,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg). “These batteries are notoriously dangerous and diffi cult to extinguish. By having identifying signs on location where the batteries are present, it allows for more situational awareness for fi rst responders who may be responding.” CHANGE LANGUAGE IN LAW THAT CREATED COUNCILS ON AGING (H 4301) — The House gave initial approval to legislation that would change some language in the 50-year-old law that created Councils on Aging in local cities and towns. Changes include deleting language that refers to “problems of the aging” and replacing it with “the needs of older adults;” deleting language that calls workers “clerks” and replacing it with language that calls workers “staff ;” and adding “and delivering services” to the language in the bill which gives the council the authority to “carry out programs.” Supporters said the bill modernizes the language in a 50-year-old law that created Councils on Aging at a time when there were very few senior centers. They noted that the number of Councils on Aging and senior centers has grown to 350 and said the bill updates the statute to refl ect the modern functioning of these critical centers. Rep. Kate Donaghue (DWestborough), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her to comment on passage of her proposal and whether she thinks it will make it through the Legislature in the 2025-2026 session. The bill was given initial approval by the House in the 2023-2024 session but died when the House took no further action on it. BAN THE USE OF TINTED LICENSE PLATE COVERS (H 4029) — The House gave initial approval to a bill that would prohibit the use of tinted or smoked license plate covers, along with any bracket, frame or covering that alters or obscures the license plate’s visibility. Specifi cally, the bill prohibits anything that obscures the license plate; the color of the license plate; the name or abbreviated name of the state; or any character or characters, decal, stamp or other device indicating the month or year in which the vehicle’s registration expires. “I fi led this bill after working with constituents who were concerned that tinted license plate covers may seem harmless, but in reality they make it harder for tolling systems, accident investigators and law enforcement offi cers to do their jobs,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). “With Massachusetts now relying on electronic tolling infrastructure, it’s critical that plates remain clear and fully legible. This legislation is about fairness safety, and ensuring our transportation system works the way it’s supposed to.” BAY STATE HIRES COMPANY TO RUN THE UPCOMING ONLINE LOTTERY — The State Lottery Commission voted to approve a fi ve-year contract for the company that next summer in 2026 will launch an online version of the Lottery that allows people to place bets online. It was a unanimous vote to authorize the Lottery’s Executive Director Mark William Bracken to enter into a deal for “a full-service iLottery platform and related services” with Aristocrat Interactive — a Malta-based company which had been recommended by the procurement team that reviewed fi ve responses the Lottery got to its solicitation. Malta is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. “This is a huge milestone,” said Lottery Commissioner Meghan Liddy. “I’ve been around for a while. The years passed by quickly, but at times it did not seem like a quick process at all, and it was a very arduous process to get this done. Just huge congratulations to the team.”
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